Unending Love (15 page)

Men were scrambling upon the walls, dogs barking
at the excitement.  Maddoc reached the gatehouse, standing with David, William
and Gerid as the rider came barreling towards them.  It seemed as if the rider
had no control over his mount because the horse was going in all directions,
unsteadily.  It ran straight up to the gate and nearly crashed into it, taking
a sharp turn to the right at the last moment to avoid a collision.

The action would have dumped a normal rider and
the rider did indeed topple, but the entire saddle went with him, rolling to
the underbelly of the horse but not coming off.  Rider and saddle were still
strapped to the horse, who started to panic because it could no longer freely
move. 

David shouted orders for the portcullis to lift
as Maddoc and William slipped underneath the grate to grab the horse.  As
William took hold of the panicked and frothing steed, Maddoc dropped to his
knees beside the upside-down rider. It took him all of two seconds to see what
he was dealing with.  A beaten and bloodied body, gagged, was tied to the
saddle. He was quite dead.

“God help us,” he hissed. “What madness is
this?”

We have played along side millions of lovers, shared in the same
Shy sweetness of meeting, the same distressful tears of farewell-

CHAPTER
EIGHT

“Poor Eynsford,” Adalind sobbed. “He was a
nuisance but he was not a terrible person. Why would Walter do this to him?”

Christina didn’t have any answers. Nor did
Emilie or Willow.  The four of them sat in the small feasting hall, a warm
blaze crackling in the hearth behind them, keeping the hall rather cozy even
though the mood of the room was fearful and somber.  Christina had her arm
around her daughter’s shoulder, trying to offer some comfort.

“Papa told you not to worry,” she said gently.
“He and the knights will do what needs to be done.”

Adalind was devastated.  Somehow, someway,
Walter de Burgh crossed paths with Eynsford du Lesseps and had killed the man,
sending him back to Canterbury tied to a horse. No one even knew how Walter had
known the man, but Eynsford, being a bit of a dramatic character, must have
said something about Adalind somehow and Walter, furious over his expulsion
from Canterbury, must have taken his fury out on the young man.

It had been a horrific sight, one that
[J25]
 
Adalind had unfortunately witnessed.  David had
tried to spare her when he realized who the dead rider was, but Adalind had
caught sight of Eynsford anyway.  The man had been wearing his bright red silks
and had been hard to miss. 

David had taken the hysterical Adalind into the
keep and spent a few minutes trying to calm her down before retreating to the
bailey.  An army was approaching, one that apparently meant serious business,
and he could not spare more time to soothe his granddaughter.  It was evident
that defending her was to be the order of the night.

So Adalind, Willow, Christina, and Emilie had
been in the hall since Eynsford’s tragic appearance.  The keep was buttoned up
tightly while Canterbury waited with quivering anticipation for the siege.  The
women
[J26]
 
had no way of knowing what was going on outside
considering all of the windows were shuttered and they were deep in the keep,
far away from doors or openings.  They had no way of knowing that the army that
had sent them all into lock-down was really no more than one hundred men that
had marched upon Canterbury in a rather unorganized group.   They had no way of
knowing that the collection remained in a black, shadowed tide just outside of
the range of Canterbury’s archers, waiting and watching.   All they knew was
that bottled up in the keep made them deaf and blind to all, which only fueled
their fears.

 “I simply do not understand why Walter would do
this,” Adalind sniffled, trying not to think of Eynsford’s broken body. “I told
him I was not interested in him. Does he believe that murder and destruction will
make me want to marry him?”

Christina glanced at Emilie before replying; the
older women were more astute to the real world, where men’s hearts and actions
were not motivated by feeling but rather by greed and pride.  Adalind was too
young to fully comprehend that.

“Nay,” she said softly. “He does not believe he
can win your love this way.  He has come to take what he wants.”

Adalind shook her head firmly, wiping delicately
at her nose. “He cannot have me,” she said, turning beseechingly to her mother.
“I am so sorry to have brought this upon Canterbury. All was peaceful until I
came home and now….”

“You are not to blame,” Emilie spoke up from the
other side of the table, cutting her off. “Addie, men like Walter de Burgh are
spoiled little bullies.  If they do not get their way, in any fashion, they
throw a tantrum.  That is all this is – a tantrum.”

Adalind was no longer sobbing but tears still
dripped from her eyes. “It is a deadly tantrum. I am responsible for Eynsford’s
death.”

“Nonsense,” Emilie snapped softly.  “Worrying
about this is not going to change things.  In fact, I suggest we all try to get
some sleep.   If the siege begins, we will hear it, so until that time we may
as well try to rest.”

Adalind started to shake her head but her mother
firmly agreed. “That is an excellent suggestion,” she said, standing up and
pulling Adalind to her feet. “Let us try and get some rest. “

Adalind realized that her mother and grandmother
were joining forces to coerce her into going to bed.  She resisted even as her
mother bodily pulled her away from the feasting table but eventually relented
as Willow took her hand and began leading her up the narrow spiral stairs.  She
had fallen silent by the time they reached their shared bedchamber, the long
stone room with the roaring fireplace and piles of furs and coverlets stacked
both on and under the bed.  

It was a cozy place, a young lady’s place, and
it brought instant comfort as Adalind passed through the door.  Her things were
here, things that had followed her around for the past five years, and she was
comforted among her things.  She truly was exhausted from her eventful day. She
stopped thinking of Eynsford and Walter, at least for the moment.  At least
until the sound of bellows in the bailey caught her attention.  Rushing to the
window that faced out over a portion of the bailey, she and Willow strained to
see what was going on.

There was some manner of confrontation occurring
at the main gates.

***

“Surely you understand the de Burgh war
machine,” Wallace de Digge was a middle-aged man who fought for his older brother,
the Lord of Chilham Castle.  He appeared tired and impatient and resistant to
being in the position he was in.  “Walter de Burgh is demanding satisfaction,
my lord. My brother has sent me to seek the truth of the matter.  What on earth
happened today that has that old man so riled up?”

David knew Wallace. They had co-existed
peacefully for years.  Although not truly an ally, he wasn’t an enemy, either.
They simply lived a few miles from each other but not much more than that. 
Politics had seen them on opposite sides most of the time.

David sighed heavily. He kept the portcullis
down, conversing through the big iron bars. “He came to court my
granddaughter,” he explained, anger in his tone. “My granddaughter is not
interested in him, nor am I, and when I asked him to leave, he became rude and
threatening.  When I physically threw him from my keep, he produced a weapon. 
My captain defended me.”

Wallace listened to the story before scratching
his dark, oily head. “Is that du Bois?”

“Aye.”

Wallace shook his head, disgusted. “Walter wants
him.”

“Why?”

“To punish him, I would presume.  His arm is
badly broken and he said du Bois did it.”

“He did it whilst disarming him,” David said,
his fury growing. “Make no mistake; Walter pulled a dagger and was fully
intending to use it on me until Maddoc stepped in.  The broken arm is the
unfortunate
[J27]
 
byproduct of a stupid man’s stupid actions.”

Wallace scratched his head again and looked him
in the eye. “So what shall we do?” he asked. “My brother forced me to come here
at de Burgh’s request.  I was asked to bring back du Bois and if I do not, I am
to return to my brother and inform him of your refusal to produce the man,
whereupon my brother will provide a thousand men to lay siege and either kill
du Bois or take him prisoner.  My lord, I have no desire to lay siege to
Canterbury because of the idiot de Burgh.  I do not like him, my brother does
not like him, but we all fear his brother.  I would not want to offend the de
Burgh family.”

David’s eyebrows listed. “So you would offend
the de Lohr family instead?” he shook his head. “My brother commands five
thousand at Lioncross Abbey plus another six thousand from his various
garrisons.  By tomorrow noon, I can have four thousand men here from my
garrisons at Denstroude Castle and Kemberland Castle, and I will send word to
Fitzwilliam at Dover Castle to reinforce me with another four thousand.  If you
think you can survive nineteen thousand men, by all means, return and lay
siege.”

Wallace held up a hand in surrender. “My lord, I
do not wish to invite your ire, either,” he assured him. “I am simply doing
what I was told to do.”

David knew the man was a pawn and he struggled
to calm himself.  But he was sincerely furious at de Burgh.

“I understand,” he said. “My anger is not
directed at you. But you will return to Walter de Burgh with a message from
me.  You will tell him that he will cease his harassment of my granddaughter
and forget any misplaced sense of vengeance against Maddoc du Bois or I will
send word to my brother and we will both march on Montgomery Castle where his
beloved brother Hubert resides and burn the place to the ground.  If this is
any way unclear, he can come personally to discuss it with me, for as of this
moment I will consider any further action from him, or Chilham Castle, an open
act of war and will react accordingly. Chilham shall fall, as will Montgomery,
and any other de Burgh holdings my brother and I decide to raze.  Do you
comprehend?”

Wallace’s expression was a mixture of
apprehension and resignation. “I do, my lord.”

“Good.” David’s gaze lingered on the man in the
darkness. “Then, when Walter leaves Chilham, tell your brother that I would
have you and him as my guests.  We will feast and drink and try to determine
why we have not been better allies. Perhaps we will remedy that situation.”

Wallace nodded faintly. “Perhaps, my lord.”

“Good eve, Wallace.”

“Good eve, my lord.”

With that, Wallace turned and headed back to his
collection of mounted men, snapping orders to retreat.  As David stood and
watched, Maddoc, William and Gerid came to stand beside him, watching the small
army organize and move off into the dark of the night.  They had heard every
word spoken.  When the army faded from view, David turned to Maddoc.

“You will watch yourself over the next few
days,” he said. “I would not put it past de Burgh to lie in wait for you
somewhere.  Stay to the castle.”

Maddoc wasn’t afraid of anything much less a
shriveled old man. He struggled not to become angry with David’s directive.

“I do not believe that is necessary, my lord,”
he said evenly. “I can watch out for myself.”

David lifted an eyebrow at him. “That is
not
a request,” he said. “Maddoc, perhaps it is an overabundance of caution, but I
know de Burgh. He is conniving and wily.  I do not trust the man so, for the
next few days, I would ask that you remain confined to the castle for your own
safety.”

Maddoc was fairly close to fuming but hid it
well.  “What of Victoria du Bose’s celebration?” he wanted to know. “That is in
two days. I am to escort Adalind.”

David turned from the gate with the collection
of knights following him. “She will not go, either,” he said. “De Burgh could
lie in wait for her, also, and I would have a mess on my hands because I would
go to war against the entire de Burgh family for so much as touching my
granddaughter.  Moreover, the Dukes of Navarre would come down on them as well
because I know I could not keep you out of the mix.  All of England would be in
turmoil because of one stupid old man and his inability to accept a refusal.”

Maddoc didn’t say anymore. He was afraid it
would turn into an argument if he did. However, he was embarrassed by the
directive in front of his fellow knights, as if he was a weakling who needed to
be protected.   As David headed back towards the keep, Maddoc let him go. He
didn’t want to be around the man at the moment, disappointed and humiliated.

As he stood there and stewed, de Wolfe came up
behind him and clapped a big hand on his shoulder. “Do you know how many
directives I have had from my liege like the one you just received?” he asked,
grinning when Maddoc turned to look at him. “Too many to count.  All of
Scotland is out to get me so I receive orders like that constantly.”